Four To The End (prev Shifting Lines) - Book One (Marauder Era)

Chapter Thirty-Six - Boiling For Revenge

Mulciber lost ten points from Slytherin and had three nights of detention. Somehow he managed to convince Slughorn he really thought there had been a Bludger near Remus's head, and in Potions on Thursday he kept sending really smirky looks Remus's way. When Avery passed by him to get something from the cupboard he whispered, "When the Bludger hits the baby will fall!" just like Mulciber had during the game.

Remus fumed as James worked on the potion they had paired up for. "We'll get him," James promised.

Remus glanced back to Mulciber and Avery who were whispering to each other then snickering. They both saw Remus looking at them which sent them into more laughter. Mulciber swung his long potions spoon like a bat before pointing it at Remus. Remus turned back to his cauldron, not wanting to just sit there anymore. It felt the same when Sirius had ripped his bag and gotten him very temporarily banned from the library. That burning desire for revenge, and he didn't want to wait for James and Sirius to do it for him.

There was something clawing inside of him. The wolf, growling and slobbering to lash out, to cause pain. For the revenge. It urged him to just get up and jump on Mulciber and claw at his face until he bled to death, to sink his teeth into the Slytherin's neck and rip out his flesh. At the very least, push over their cauldron letting the boiling hot liquid slosh over both boys.

Remus grit his teeth, curling his hands into fists, entire body trembling as he fought off the violent urges, tried to calm his temper down. James bent in close when he noticed him shaking so he could ask, "You ok?" Remus slowly nodded, eyes squeezing shut. "You sure?" Now Remus shrugged. "Are you sick? You look pale again."

"Fine," he forced out. "I'm fine." He opened his eyes and was a little surprised he wasn't seeing red. It felt like he was being consumed by the thirst for blood. He blinked a few times then let out a long breath, feeling some of the rage leave his body as something inside of him sort of snapped, like it felt like something actually physically snapping inside of him. The wolf still paced in his brain but it wasn't as strong now. He could control it. "Fine," he said, and this time he sounded it, though wondered why he suddenly smelled blood.

James pressed a hand against the back of Remus's shoulder. The touch made him jump. "All right," James said with an anxious smile. "If you need to go to the hospital wing just let me kn--oh! Your nose!"

"Wh...at?" He lifted his hand and when he took it away he saw bright red. He quickly put his hand back up, pressing against his nose.

"I should take you--"

"No, it's f--fine," he mumbled, not wanting to leave class. "It'll stop in a minute." He tipped his head back for show. Once he thought it was healed he blotted the blood away on his sleeve. "I'm fine." James obviously didn't believe him, though.

Remus managed to remain calm throughout the rest of class and didn't have another strange nosebleed (what caused it?, he wondered). As the students left, Mulciber and Avery pushed past the Gryffindors, knocking Peter to the ground, sending everything in his bag scattering. "Whoops!" They both walked off, laughing, Avery stepping on Peter's Potions book. Remus knelt down, helping gather the stuff up, while James pulled Peter to his feet and Sirius shouted insults after the two Slytherins, which Slughorn heard. He hadn't seen the Slytherins knocking Peter so only Sirius lost a point, for the words he said.

"Definitely gotta get revenge," James hissed out, a protective arm around Peter.

"Wish we knew where the Slytherin dorms were," Sirius said as they walked down the corridor. "I know they're somewhere around here, in the dungeons, but dunno where exactly."